Afcon 2023 Qualifiers: The Walias in Casablanca for Guinea Test
The Ethiopian national team have arrived in Morocco ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Guinea.
Concluding a five-day preparation in Adama, the Walia Ibex left for Casablanca on Monday night and reached Mohammed V airport on Tuesday after a stepover in Egypt’s capital Cairo.
Omod Okori, who plays for Oman’ Al-Suwaiq, joined the squad in Casablanca later Tuesday.
Coach Wubetu has included 23 players in his team for the fixtures, including the record appearance-maker Shimelis Bekele, who has 75 caps to his name.
Ethiopia Medin’s Ketika Jema replaced striker Abubeker Nasir, who has not recovered from his injury fully on time for the qualifiers.
The Walias started off their 2023 Afcon qualifiers with a 1-2 loss to Malawi on June 5, 2022.
They, however, regained ground in the race to qualification, beating group favorite Egypt.
First-half goals from Dawa Hotessa and skipper Shemeles Bekele earned the Walias a well-deserved victory over the Pharaohs l.
Ethiopia sits at top of the group D standings on goal difference, with all teams in the group sitting on three points.
The Walias now switch their attention to group third and fourth group matches against Guinea to be held in the Mohammed V Complex Stadium in Casablanca.
Guinea will first play host to Ethiopia in the first match set to be played at the Mohammed V Stadium on Friday. The same venue will host Ethiopia’s home match vs Guinea three days later.
In other Group D matches, Egypt, who find themselves in a precarious position at the bottom D as a result of goal difference, welcome Malawi to Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium, before traveling to Malawi for the fourth round of the qualifiers on 28 March.
A total of 44 nations that will be in action this week to secure a place in Africa’s biggest football tournament set for Cote D’Ivoire.
The list of players in the 23-men Ethiopian squad for the Afcon 2023 Qualifiers Match Day three and four fixtures are:
Goalkeepers:
Fasil Gebremichael – Bahir Dar City
Seid Habtamu – Adama Kenema
Abubeker Nura – Ethiopian Medhin
Defenders:
Ramadan Yesuf – St George
Suleman Hamid – St George
Birhanu Bekele – Hadiya Hossana
Milion Solomon – Adama City
Mignot Debebe – Saint George
Git Gatkuoth – Sidama Coffee
Aschalew Tamene – Fasil Kenema
Yared Baye – Bahir Dar City
Midfielders:
Yihun Endashaw – Fasil Kenema
Amanuel Yohannes – Ethiopian Coffee
Gatoch Panom – St George
Shimelis Bekele – ENPPI (Egypt)
Menean Markine – Mechal
Tafese Solomon – Fasil Kenema
Biniam Belay – St George
Forwards:
Yosef Tarekegn – Adama Kenena
Abel Yalew – Saint George
Omod Okori – Al-Suwaiq (Oman)
Yigezu Bogale – Sidama Coffee
Ketika Jema – Ethiopia Medin
The Walias’ Afcon 2023 qualifiers: Fixture & results
